Branch Activity of the Year Award – 2026
What is it? The Branch Activity of the Year (BAY) award provides branches an opportunity to showcase and share an activity that is novel, inspirational, reproducible, and promotes AAUW’s mission and image. It is also critical to incorporate elements of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The activity may be a one-off program or event or a sustained recurring project for which the branch is known. The winning awards were presented at the 2026 AAUW California Annual Event.
Questions? Please contact Patricia Souza at bay@aauw-ca.org
Projects submitted
Click on the title to view the description and contact information. The content displayed is directly from the submission form and has been edited only for length.
| Title of Activity | Branch |
|---|---|
| Challenges in Education -Meet the Superintendents | Stockton |
| STEM Trek Mentoring Program | Stockton |
| Community meeting | Santa Cruz County |
| Days for Girls | California Online Branch |
| Immigration | California Online Branch |
| Tech Trek Recognition Tea | Coachella Valley |
| The Mission of Holding on to Hope | Monterey Peninsula |
| Reproductive Health Care Post Dobbs | Turlock |
| Lobby Days: A New Approach | Redlands |
| Napa Women Artists' Bazaar | Napa County |
| STEM Fair | Redlands |
| Installation of Officers - June, 2025 | La Mesa-El Cajon |
| The First Amendment in 2026: Ventura County Interbranch Council Luncheon | Camarillo |
| California Suffragist's Interview | Carlsbad-Oceanside-Vista |
| One Book, One Community Read: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution | Fremont |
Project Descriptions
Young Women Leaders (YWL): Building the Next Generation Through a Student-Led Leadership Program
Morgan Hill Branch
Contact: Suman Ganapathy
AAUW Morgan Hill’s Young Women Leaders (YWL) program empowers girls in grades 8–12 to develop leadership, advocacy, and community engagement skills through a unique, student-led model. Over the academic year, participants meet monthly to plan and execute initiatives, culminating in an annual, student-led youth leadership conference—most recently “All the Places You’ll Go!” on March 22, 2025—serving middle and high school girls across the community. This year, the conference is on March 28, 2026.
What makes this program distinctive is that students lead every aspect of the work, from selecting themes and recruiting speakers to managing logistics, marketing, and facilitation. Adult AAUW members serve as mentors, providing guidance while intentionally stepping back to allow young women to take ownership. This approach builds confidence, real-world skills, and a strong sense of agency.
The program aligns closely with AAUW’s mission by advancing equity in education, leadership development, and civic participation, while fostering inclusion and amplifying diverse voices. Participants gain hands-on experience in public speaking, project management, and community outreach, creating a sustainable pipeline of confident, engaged young women leaders who go on to lead in their schools and communities.
YWL has proven impactful because it is both structured and flexible—adapting to student schedules while maintaining consistent engagement and measurable outcomes. It has demonstrated resilience through virtual programming during the pandemic and continued growth through expanded community engagement and increasing participation.
Equally important, the program is highly replicable. With modest resources—dedicated volunteers, student leaders, community partnerships, and accessible meeting spaces—any AAUW branch can adopt this model. Its clear structure of monthly planning, student-led execution, and a signature culminating event provides a practical blueprint that can be scaled to fit branches of varying sizes and capacities.
Ultimately, this program works because it is built on a simple but powerful idea: when young women are trusted to lead and supported with purpose, they rise—and bring others with them.
Human Trafficking
Mid Peninsula Branch
Contact: Karen Large
Elizabeth Quiroz was barely a teen when she was trafficked for sexual services by her boyfriend in the San Francisco Bay Area. According to Quiroz, “My second trafficker was female, and I trusted her, but she was just a part of the same prison gang as my first trafficker. My third trafficker was also my drug supplier.”
That began a life of drugs, alcohol abuse, and incarceration for Quiroz. The members of AAUW heard her story and other examples of human trafficking at the Mid-Peninsula Branch meeting on January 10, 2026.
The branch learned that Super Bowl LX, the NBA All Star Game for March Madness, and the FIFA 2026 World Cup would all be held in the San Francisco Bay Area sports venues beginning early 2026. Human trafficking, which includes labor and sex workers, historically goes up due to monetary gains along with the huge numbers of spectators who arrive during these mega-sporting events
Though research is inconclusive on whether there is a rise in human trafficking during major sporting events, according to Sharan Dhanoa, director of South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking, “There is often a flood of advertisements for people selling sex. Our core message is that sporting events don’t cause trafficking, but economics drives exploitation.”
January is annually recognized as National Human Trafficking Prevention month in the United States. The victims of human trafficking are usually women, some minors, and often people of color. Based on this background information and the expected influx of fans and vendors, branch members decided to expand its original January program set to feature The Grateful Garment Project, which serves the victims of sexual assault, to a larger panel. The panel would feature a self-described indigenous victim/survivor (and author) who would share her story of being trafficked at age 15 along with San Mateo County Assistant Sheriff Ryan Monaghan who leads the Human Trafficking Task force.
During the presentation, each speaker took turns describing his or her role in fighting human trafficking. After the presentation, time was allowed for questions and answers, monitored by a lawyer member.
Perhaps most rewarding moment with this program, was hearing the support the speakers offered one another in their work to combat trafficking and help its victims. We learned about this illegal exploitation practice against powerless victims, gained respect for those who work to address this crime, and we gained tools for what can do to assist.
There was much exchange of information among the 3 speakers who knew one another or knew of each other’s work. A search of our Sheriff’s Department website provided information about a young woman who tells her story of exploitation as a sex trafficking victim in San Francisco Bay Area to inmates every year at the Maple Street Correctional Center. The Sheriff’s department was very cooperative in providing her contact information so we could have her as a speaker along with Assistant Sheriff Monaghan.
The third panelist is from The Grateful Garment Project, a local non -profit that provides clothing and necessities to victims who after being sexually abused must surrender their things during hospital exams. The organization has helped hundreds of victims and given away thousands of items of clothing to them.
Some facts we learned are that those who use human trafficking come from all walks of life: teachers, ministers, salespeople, lawyers, tech moguls, police officers, etc. The victims come from all around the country, per Monaghan. Three international airports nearby aid in the import of victims for hire. Hotels and motels lining the 101 Freeway and other busy corridors and the Peninsula’s geography, gives traffickers the mobility and cover they need to operate without being noticed. Airbnbs are rented for these purposes. Illegal activity can happen in our own neighborhoods, said Monaghan.
The vast amounts of money in Silicon Valley in the Santa Clara County and the Bay Area contribute to this crime. “You’ve got tens of thousands of people coming to the Bay Area from all over the United States and even other parts of the world,” said Jeff Rosen, district attorney for Santa Clara County. “You wouldn’t think that illegitimate businesses would also seek to profit from that?” he added facetiously. (Reported by KQED February 5, 2026.)
Empowering Women Through CHATting
Redlands Branch
Contact: Katherine Gifford
Nearly fourteen years ago, the Redlands AAUW Branch initiated CHAT (Conversation Helps Adults Transition) to welcome new immigrants seeking to improve their conversational English. AAUW Redlands members, who were serving as volunteers at A. K. Smiley Library in adult literacy, were asked by well-educated immigrant women for help with their conversational English. These volunteers asked Kathy Toister, the AAUW Redlands President at the time, about organizing AAUW Redlands volunteers to help these immigrants. Through this effort, CHAT was born.
Initially, AAUW volunteers met one-on-one with chattees (recent immigrants who could qualify for AAUW membership) to practice conversations in English. As the program grew, these one-on-one meetings were augmented with monthly meetings where all the volunteers and chattees are welcome to talk about American idioms, cross-cultural experiences, and other topics. Chattees are eager to find out how they can better access educational resources and improve their communication.
With practice and peer-acceptance, chattees have led community events at the library, like Dia de Los Muertos, re-established their professions in the U.S., volunteered at AAUW-sponsored STEM events, and gained citizenship. CHAT allows for conversations, in a safe setting, that nurture career development, gender equity, social justice, and work-life balance, across generations and cultures. Everyone in CHAT thrives and benefits from this rich environment! We are delighted when chattees decide to become members of the AAUW Redlands branch, which further diversifies our membership. The CHAT program is unique, inspiring to all participants, reproducible by any chapter, and reflects AAUW’s core missions, including DEI.
Challenges in Education -Meet the Superintendents
Stockton Branch
Contact: Ronda Sanders
AAUW Stockton, CA branch hosted three local school district superintendents and the San Joaquin County superintendent at our January branch meeting. The superintendents appeared as a panel. After a brief social with program attendees, the superintendents sat together facing an audience of ninety AAUW member and members of the community.
Each superintendent answered in turn the following three questions; What are your top two priorities? What keeps you up at night? What accomplishment or success would you like to share with us? This was followed by questions from the audience which included questions about immigration, DEI and AI in the schools.
STEM Trek Mentoring Program
Stockton Branch
Contact: Pam Mallett-Jones
The STEM Mentoring program of the Stockton Branch has been ongoing for almost 18 years. Once the girls return from Tech Trek Camp they are invited to participate in our program for the ensuing 5 years. There are typically 15 girls in grades 8-12 at any one time in the program each year. We meet monthly to participate in an activity which might include museums, conference attendance, cultural activities, college tours, art lessons, cake decorating, financial literacy classes, CPR classes and a plethora of other activities. We also address their social and academic needs as they arise. These activities always include a clear objective leading to our ultimate goal which is for all girls to go on to higher education. Approximately 70 girls have participated in our program and to date we are 100% successful. All participants have entered college. Two of the current mentors are graduates of the STEM Mentoring program. Several years ago we determined that a longer sustained block of time was needed to reinforce all skills gained in our program during the 10 month academic year. The Summer Retreat would also expand the girls’ store of knowledge about the world beyond their own communities and provide the opportunity to have experiences that they would not otherwise be able to have.
Each summer we go in a different direction. We alternate between the mountains, ocean and city. The benefits of these trips has been realized countless times. For instance, when it was found that some of our girls had never had the opportunity to learn to swim, we organized lessons at our mountain retreat. When we found that some of our girls had never seen the ocean we organized several activities at the shore to introduce them to marine activity. One of those girls have gone on to graduate with a degree in Marine Biology! When we visit the city we use the opportunity to familiarize them with the many resources a major area has to offer. This generally includes the many attractions as well as use of the many types of public transportation.
Since we are together for 3 days and nights there is also time to complete vision boards, explore goal setting and strengthen personal commitments which includes the ONE WORD project. Our mentoring program is a success in that all of our girls go on to higher education. More importantly, this success is felt exponentially in our community. The skills and enlightenment experienced by our girls is shared with their families, neighborhoods and the community.
Community Meeting
Santa Cruz County Branch
Contact: Kit Hein
Yes, it’s just another meeting. Yes, there is a speaker. However, this meeting involved all participants in hands on activities, was publicized in our local newspaper (not an easy task) and in the weekly letter that the president of our local college sends out to her faculty, and covers the AAUW mission to empower women and girls through equity and education.
Titled “Growing Opportunities: Women in Horticulture”, the program featured Sarah Patino Hulick, Department Chair of horticulture and plant sciences at Cabrillo College. Hulick shared the many aspects of their program as well as insights on the progress of women in this traditionally male dominated field. She lead participants in hands on activities, thinking about women’s empowerment and how we could promote women in our community.
AND there was food! Known as the “heart” berry, strawberries are a main product of Santa Cruz County. Meeting participants were served strawberry shortcake and chocolate dipped strawberries, prepared by AAUW SCC branch members. Participants went away with a better understanding of how our county and Cabrillo College impact the rest of the state, the country and the world by equipping students for high-demand roles in traditional and emerging agricultural fields.
Days for Girls
California Online Branch
Contact: Cathy Foxhoven
CA Online presented a program on “Days for Girls” in October. Our guest speaker was Sandy Axel, president of the Portland chapter of the”Days for Girls” and creator of the “Baguettes”. Once a month since 2008, the group meets and sews menstrual bags which are then distributed to other chapters to fill and then shipped to African countries, Gaza, Ukraine, etc. Right after the presentation, many immediately donated to “Days for Girls”. Branches can start their own chapters or simply donate to the organization. Sandy loves to promote the program and she has a three-minute video that is so moving.
Immigration
California Online Branch
Contact: Cathy Foxhoven
Pricilla Orta, an attorney and advocate for immigrant rights gave us a spectacular rundown of the history of the US immigration system. She also answered our questions and provided actionable steps to support our immigrant neighbors.
Priscilla Orta is a nationally recognized immigration attorney, policy strategist, and civic architect focused on building systems that turn crisis into community power. A graduate of Harvard College and Columbia Law School, she has led multi-city legal teams serving thousands of asylum-seeking families and currently develops scalable legal and civic infrastructure through her People’s School initiative — a community-rooted model integrating housing, education, and leadership training. Priscilla also serves as County Chair of the Forward Party in San Antonio and advises organizations on equity-driven strategy, narrative, and institutional resilience. Her public writing and mentorship work center women, democracy, and intergenerational leadership.
Tech Trek Recognition Tea
Coachella Valley Branch
Contact: Kathi Farber
After sending 25 girls to Tech Trek Camp this summer, we had the privilege of welcoming them back to present to our membership, guests, and generous sponsors. They were joined by proud parents, grandparents, and siblings, bringing our total attendance to 110 people.
The girls beautifully showcased their projects and spoke about how meaningful the week at camp was for them — not only academically, but personally. They shared how the experience expanded their confidence, strengthened their interest in STEM, and opened their eyes to future educational and career possibilities.
Moments like this truly embody our mission of advancing gender equity for women and girls. Seeing these young scholars inspired, empowered, and supported by their families and community reminds us why this work matters so deeply.
The Mission of Holding on to Hope
Monterey Peninsula Branch
Contact: Joanne Webster
Social justice for women and girls is a cornerstone of AAUW’s mission. Our February 2026 program addressed an important and vital project in our County to facilitate social justice efforts. We invited an Asst. District Attorney for Monterey County to speak about efforts to consolidate services for victims of violence and abuse. Many of their clients are women and girls.
Reproductive Healthcare Post Dobbs
Turlock Branch
Contact: Nancy Turner
Reproductive Health Care Post Dobbs was held via Zoom. Our Program Committee Chair asked a Senior Regional Medical Director, and a Family Medicine Program Director (an AAUW members from a nearby branch) to be our speakers about the affects of the Dobbs decision on medical education, changes occurring in California, and what is standard clinical care independent of politics. Both physicians are providing training for residents and managing major health care clinics in California. This topic addresses self-determination in healthcare decisions, which is part of AAUW California’s current Public Policy Priorities, and reproductive health. The program is unique as it viewed the issue from the perspective of medical education and impacts to patient care. Through collaboration with AAUW California Public Policy team, registration invitations were sent to all branch presidents and public policy chairs. Although only a third of registrants ended up attending, we had registrations from all over the state of CA and one from Oregon. The program was recorded and posted on the branch website. We utilized pre and post surveys. Pre event surveys included questions for the presenters that they referenced and included in their presentation. Post survey results were utilized for program evaluation.
Lobby Days a New Approach
Redlands Branch
Contact: Kathryn Brown
Our Public Policy chair, Cassie MacDuff, sought, and was granted, permission from AAUW CA for our branch to schedule our own meetings with our legislators in their respective district offices, rather than participating in the 2025 AAUW CA Lobby Days activity by zoom or in person in Sacramento. We did this because we believed we could more effectively communicate and establish better long-term relationships with our legislators by meeting with them as constituents at their district offices. We were also spurred by the frustration of previous Lobby Days experiences (short meetings on zoom, usually with legislative aides; sometimes being scheduled on teams with legislators outside of our district) . In preparation, AAUW Redlands members all attended the Lobby Days training provided by AAUW CA and used the materials provided to prepare for our local meetings. Under Cassie’s leadership, we scheduled eight in-district meetings, which were all held within early April. We sought to work within our legislators’ respective schedules, to optimize the odds that we would be able to meet with them in person (for example, offering to meet on a Friday or Saturday, when legislators are in their district offices), as opposed to meeting with a legislative aide. As a result, 50% of our meetings were with the legislators themselves, a far better percentage than the meetings scheduled by AAUW California’s professional advocate. Our model has now been adopted by branches throughout California as a result of our success.
Napa Women Artists Bazaar
Napa County Branch
Contact: Starr Green
Coming out of COVID, we wanted to find ways to encourage more members to feel engaged and to start feeling more comfortable joining sections and programs. A survey was created and one of the outcomes was what kind of programs they wanted. Overwhelmingly, a request was suggest: Napa Valley Women in Art. It was soon obvious to our membership the significance of unleasing our creativity and making an impact by shining a spotlight on local women artists. AAUW has always encouraged members to share their artistic talents since, traditionally, women have been underrepresented in the art world; therefore we pooled our resources and thus the Napa Women Artists’ Bazaar was born. For the past four years, this bazaar has proven a very successful program, both for membership and for the community, adding three new members in our last bazaar. A true testament to its success for AAUW and the community.
STEM Fair
Redlands Branch
Contact: Ann Leonard
For 32 years AAUW Redlands Branch has put on a STEM conference for 8th grade girls at the University of Redlands campus. Four years ago we adjusted our format to drop our third workshop and change to a STEM Fair format that allows the girls to sit at a table with 8 girls and 1 expert where girls can ask questions in a less formal setting than a workshop with one expert and 30 girls. A STEM Fair coordinator in a zone directs the 48 girls to choose an expert and sit at her table and listen and ask questions for 10 minutes. The girls move to another table of their choice in their zone for 10 minutes. There are 6 speaker offerings in a zone. The girls move to a third table for 10 minutes. This format allows the girls to hear 3 experts in this 40 minute session and ask their own questions in a smaller setting. This change in format results in the girls hearing 5 experts at our conference versus 3 experts at our previous STEM conference.
Installation of Officers – June 20
La Mesa-El Cajon Branch
Contact: Marilyn Daniels
Our installation of officers was held at a local restaurant and featured guest speaker, Sara Jacobs, who represents California’s 51st Congressional District. Her thoughtful and engaging answers to our questions made the afternoon especially memorable. Members came away from the program with a strong sense that Ms. Jacobs genuinely supports the mission of AAUW.
The First Amendment in 2026: Ventura County Interbranch Council Luncheon
Camarillo Branch
Contact: Gloria Miele
aauw.camarillo.president@gmail.com
For our annual Ventura County Interbranch Council luncheon, AAUW Camarillo took the lead on developing a novel program. One of our members is an attorney and helped engaged the Dean, faculty and students of a local law school and assembled a panel to discuss the current state of the First Amendment. The Dean prepared questions for discussion about recent First Amendment challenges to free speech facing journalism, higher education, and peaceful protest to debates over academic freedom and viewpoint diversity. The panel addressed how to make sense of these shifts and protect the core freedoms that sustain a democratic society. The program was aligned with AAUW’s mission of edbancing equity through education with a focus on protecting civil and constitutional rights.
The panel was interactive and educational, and attendees, members and non members alike, appreciated the information and legal perspectives shared. We had one new member join our branch and others subscribe to our newlsetter for further outreach.
California Suffragist’s Interview
Carlsbad-Oceanside-Vista Branch
Contact: Seena Trigas
A script was written in celebration of the California suffragists who fought for the right to vote in California and nationally. The focus was on three of the many women involved in the movement, Ellen Van Valkenburg, Ellen Clark Sargent and Laura de Force Gordon. The interviewer was modern day Rachel Meadows, a take off on Maddow, MS NOW News Host. This allows the interchange to be woven into what is happening now with their challenges and successes at finally achieving the vote in California in 1911. The event was in celebration of Women’s History Month, March 2026 and proceeds from the event goes to our Tech Trek Program, COV branch. Our performers are dressed in white blouses and black long skirts (except for the interviewer in her black jacket, black blouse and jeans). They will have the sashes declaring “Vote for Women” and many in the audience will come wearing white blouses, skirts and the appropriate hats. Lunch will be served after the play and music from “Suff” will end the performance. The skit reminds us of the commitment many women made and their personal sacrifices to finally get us the vote in our state. And of course, the work that has yet to be done to achieve equity and to protect the right to vote.
One Book, One Community Read: The Artificial Intelligence Revolution
Fremont Branch
Contact: Phie Dai
One Book, One Community Read is a popular national program that brings communities together to read and discuss a selected book. For 16 years, the Fremont Branch has hosted this program with great success to advance AAUW’s mission, enhance community engagement, and facilitate discussions about topics important to our members.